Research shows that being near a good primary school adds £18,600 to the average house price in England

And house prices near the 10 per cent best state secondaries are 6.8 per cent, or £15,800, more expensive than those in the surrounding areas.

The figures were published today by the Department for Education (DfE), which said it wants to end “selection by house price” by creating more good state school places in more parts of the country.

The DfE said the figures “fuelled concern that less-wealthy families are being unfairly priced out of sending their children to the best schools.”

According to the BBC, it is the first time the government has published its own research on the issue of selection by house price, with banks and estate agents previously conducting their own studies.

School Standards Minister Nick Gibb said: “With almost 1.8million more children in good or outstanding schools than in 2010, more families are able to secure a good school place for their child than ever before.

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“However for too many young people their chances of success still depend on how much money their parents earn and where they can afford to live.

“This new analysis sheds a light on how far selection by house price is restricting ordinary parents’ access to the best schools.”

A study published by the educational charity The Sutton Trust earlier this month found similar evidence that the poorest pupils are missing out on places at England’s best secondary schools because of soaring house prices.

Experts found a typical house in a catchment area for a top school costs £45,700, or 20 per cent, more than average.

The charity’s chairman Sir Peter Lampl said it was unfair for the best schools where kids get the best grades to become the preserve of the wealthy middle classes.

The DfE said the figures ‘fuelled concern that less-wealthy families are being unfairly priced out of sending their children to the best schools’

Research by Lloyds Bank also found that parents were paying a huge premium to live near top-performing state schools.

In September last year, average property prices reached £366,744 in the postal districts of the 30 state schools in England which achieved the strongest GCSE results in 2015 – £53,426, or 17 per cent, more than average house prices in the surrounding counties.

The bank said some parents face paying a much higher premium.

Property expert Henry Prior told The Sun Online that most home buyers won’t be surprised to be told that it will cost more to live near good schools, “just as there is a premium to live near good transport links, recreational facilities and the best shops.”

He said: “Demand for homes rises as local amenities improve and a good Ofsted report on a local school attracts more parents who compete for the finite number of places and for the finite number of homes.

“The same happens for older people when a local hospital gets awards but beware, the reverse is true for both!”

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